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Your Opinion On : Inaction
Posted by PauloCoelho • 4/07/09 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: action, inaction, life, paulo coelho, paulocoelhoblog, procrastination
Do you feel guilty when you do nothing?
Meaning - do you feel that you are useless, that nobody cares when you don’t do anything or are you capable to relax and wait for the moment to act?
Video question: www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWnmhsilA_Y
User Comments
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I prefer to sit back and listen. I usually act when I have enough information and feel it's necessary. I'm only talking about work though. I act stupid and irrational in every other way:) -
not really, no, i don't feel guilty because i'm always under the (false) impression that someone else will do something if i don't or someone else can perform a better job. unfortunately, i reckon many people think this way and the regrettable result is often the case that nothing is indeed done. so on the surface, no. but on second thought, yes, probably.-
lol...i must be really tired because all I could think reading and rereading your comment: Is this person an accountant? you know as in "on one hand-on the other hand type thinking." -
haha! far from an accountant. the "on the one hand/and on the other" is a reflection of any thought process of anyone who feels bound to acknowledge the importance of consequences no matter how one ultimately chooses to act.
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oh absolutely... glad to know there are a few of us still hanging in there... one wonders sometimes while reading message boards, comments on blogs and listenting to the callers to Washington Journal on CSpan in the morning just how many realize there are always consequences!
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I do feel guilty when i analyse past.But then there had been moments where i should have kept quiet but reacted too fast causing embarassments.So nowadays i think a lot, based on odds on either side, i act or be a passive witness.. -
I don't know that I feel useless when I do nothing but I do feel guilty if the situation is one in which my doing something might be important, even essential. Right now that means completing and submitting a statement to a judge in a child abuse case that could lead to some negative unintended consequences whether I act or not.
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I am a doctor by profession. Immediately after passing the state exam, I juggled soooooo many things....full time physician in an agency during working hours, then research in the evening, then hospital duties on weekends, investing on the sideline....Yes I earned a lot and I felt useful to my family, community and probably to myself. Everything was laid out, I knew exactly what to do everyday. For circumstances not under my control, I found myself giving up all of these in one day, then weeks, then months, so awkward and so uncomfortable LOL. But doing nothing recently has helped me sort out my life, recheck my faith and purpose. Having "less on my plate" meant more time to taste the "barest of things in life." Inaction builds humility, patience and trust.-
Thank you for the wise words, doc.
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Why should I feel guilty if I choose to take time out for myself, or if I sit back a review a situation before taking any action?
I'd feel more guilty if I was occupied all the time, as I'd likely affect my physical and mental health in a bad way. I'd also be concerned if I acted too quickly and made the wrong decision.
Doing nothing is impossible, holding back from physical activity can be a good way to recharge internal 'batteries' and get all those thoughts and ideas sorted out. I definitely don't feel guilty about that! -
I certainy feel Inaction is d greatest EVIL!!-
Maybe you are referring to Indifference
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NO neither do I feel COWARDLY because people think or believe that I am running away from a conversation or discussion simply because I no longer want to participate in that conversation or discussion.
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Nope. In fact, as much as I do from day to day, I need to take time where I allow myself to do nothing...just for my own sanity. -
Inaction is sometimes the best way to deal with long term problems without clear solutions -
Inaction as opposed to patience or waiting. There are clear situations where inaction is the best policy, and others where people choose not to act because they are in denial or find it hard to cut through their own narcissism.-
But it is so sad when some believe they know what is in the hearts and minds of another and act on that.
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Doing nothing is definitely an action. It is part of a philosophy of not doing things which are unnecessary or harmful. There is no guilt in relaxation. -
As I have not witnessed the member who posts these threads responding to comments left in them I no longer comment on them.
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Since when is it a requirement for someone to respond to comments? I find Paul's question to be very interesting and one that deserves thought. So whether he responds or not, it seems somewhat rude to "make a rule" as to when and why one should participate on these forums. No such rules exist and the fewer restrictions we have in here the better -
An inaction for another inaction! LOL. It can be pretty hard when you are at the other end of an Inaction. Must be mentally tormenting for timethief (the username speaks for itself). Should we then retaliate with action or inaction? Paulo on the otherhand is in deep contemplation should he act or not? LOL Nah! He is probably too busy, he could use some inaction himself.
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@TonyB
Maybe you missed the irony. I was asked for my opinion on inaction and I shared it.
@onlinedoctor
An inaction for an inaction!
lol - You got it!
P.S. I chose this username because I have twice survived life threatening situations.
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Inaction can be wise on the one hand and wrong on the other hand. For example, it is wise to wait and think about what is the right thing to do. On the other hand, if you know what the right thing to do is but fail to do it....that has repercussions because someone will most likely suffer. It's clear that we can't act on every problem the world has to offer, but we can do something about the small sphere of influence we have on a daily basis. -
Good news! You can now feel useful in Work Camp! yippee -
Human behavior (I do mean behavior not nature for I don't think that human nature is evil for the huge majority of people) has become more and more complacent because of the SYSTEM. Edwards Deming (the Quality Management Guru who transformed Japan, the guy was US not Japenese) said that 80% of a result is due to the system which is the responsability of Management (or Elites).
So for me I and others do not act because it's very hard to fight the system and not get backfired in fact by your very neighbours around you who have been conditioned to protect the status quo for the elites (the elites don't even need to intervene most of the time).
As for me it's even against my nature to be complacent, I have to restrain myself, because the consequence is negative personally and I then tell myself: why would I care if nobody cares ?
Also when people act if ever it is mostly when the Medias do tell them : "this is outrageous you should go in the street or let's go to war" and that's how they are manipulated. They act only when it is fashionable or for being part of the herd. This is the most desperate stuff for me: people don't think or act by themselves (of course the medias try to make them believe the contrary: but without knowledge especially of history you cannot act for the people interest, only for the elites interest who control these medias). -
Yes. Inaction is as disdainful to me as apathy. Take a side, form an opinion, do something, anything.
Wrench -
“The price of inaction is far greater than the cost of making a mistake.” ~ Meister Eckhart. -
Do you feel guilty when you do nothing?
No.
Meaning - do you feel that you are useless, that nobody cares when you don’t do anything ...
No.
or are you capable to relax and wait for the moment to act?
Yes.
Whether or not I choose action or inaction depends on my reading of the particular situation. I am capable of waiting for the correct moment to act. And, I am mindful that there's only one direction in which we can move, if we do choose to move at all, and that's forward.
In some cases I choose not to act knowing that others will resolve situation so I don't need to interfere in any way. In others, I choose to make suggestions without acting. In still other cases, I choose to act because I know that if I experience the need to make a direction correction I can make the required change, while still moving forward.
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